With the explosion of home renovation shows such as House Detective, Holmes On Homes and Income Property, you would be hard pressed to find the person who isn’t aware that any renovation of an older home would require the specialized services of a licensed, qualified electrician. Often conjuring up images of the older, ‘quaint’, 40+ year-old home, the word “renovation” has almost become synonymous with a neglected home in disrepair, complete with bundles of wiring that could pass for extension cords. Obvious stuff that would appear glaringly unsafe to the average person.

What doesn’t come to mind is your typical, one or two-story home built anywhere from the 1980’s to early 2000’s.  But in today’s housing market, doing a kitchen and bath remodel could mean the difference between a sale and seeing no movement at all. Whether it’s to compete with newly built homes in a weak housing market or to increase the value and enjoyment of one’s home, a homeowner would be prudent to consult a licensed electrician when making any updates to their home. There can be unforeseen dangers when combining newer, modern appliances and lighting with existing wiring and a licensed electrician can inspect and update your home’s electrical framework, ensuring its safety and increasing energy efficiency.

In a case of one trend bringing about another, the increasing popularity of in-home offices and theater rooms has  sparked the inclusion of structured wiring, or heavy-duty electrical and data cables designed to manage the latest (and yet-to-be-invented) electrical devices. Take into account that almost 50% of new homes built in 2008 included structured wiring and you can see that this trend could very well become the norm in the near future.

For questions or a free consultation and estimate on updating your home’s electrical infrastructure, call Bryant Electric Service at 512-402-8587.

There has been a sea change in electrical safety systems for residential and commercial properties and these systems are significantly safer than the ones that existed even up until 5 years ago. Even if you have new installations on your property, you need to make some effort to prevent electrical accidents.

This means you have to ensure that the electrical infrastructure in your home is of a high-grade and that it’s well-maintained. It’s also important to make smart choices with reference to using various heat-producing appliances and extension cords. Here are some tips that will help make your home a safer space:

Electrical safety is about ensuring that every fixture, fitting and installation is updated and in a good condition. The power points are one of the most important electrical components on your property. Since these are the ones you come in contact with very regularly, they do become worn and damaged sooner than the other parts of the system.

Since they are the points of contact for various electrical appliances in your home, there is also the possibility of sparking. This is how they become a very common source of residential electrical fires. If you have noticed consistent sparking from these points or if any of the wires appear to be damaged or loose, it’s important that you call in a licensed and reliable electrician to get these fixed.

It’s a good idea to get a full electrical audit of your property. The electricians will quickly identify whether there is any damaged, deteriorated or faulty electrical system that has the potential to cause a fire. If you find the circuit breakers on your property tripping too often, it could mean that circuit is unable to bear the load of the appliances that are operating on it. If this is left unattended, it too could pose a fire risk.

If you find that you are using too many heavy duty appliances like gas stoves, dryers, microwaves and dishwashers on the same circuit, it’s important to spread them across different circuits. Your electrician will be able to handle this job expertly and will provide advice on what the best option would be.

While power strips and extension cords may seem like a convenient solution, they should never be used a permanent option. Long-term use might be required in areas like entertainment rooms or for computer systems; however these should be checked with regularity and replaced at the first indication of a defect/damage. It’s also very important that you don’t overload the extension cords and power strips.

These appliances can also become the cause of an electrical fire. These can’t be strictly categorized as electrical fires; however, if there is any kind of combustible material in the vicinity of these appliances, the heat that emanates from the latter can ignite the materials and cause a fire.

As a thumb rule, it’s important to keep combustible materials away from all heat and electrical sources. For instance, if you use space heaters it’s important to follow the safety instructions mentioned by the manufacturer. Newer model space heaters have more reliable fire prevention features and its best to consider buying a new one.

We at Allround Electricals are a reliable company with years of experience behind us. Our experts can come and conduct audits and provide preventive electrical maintenance services for your commercial and residential property. For more information, contact our friendly team at this number – 1300 169 263. Alternatively, you can also write to us at this email address.

Thanks for reading,1300 169 263

video in which Kathleen Packard, their Healthcare Market Development Manager, discusses how some innovations in lighting can positively affect the healing process (and save energy and money). Packard describes hospitals as being historically “institutional and very uncomfortable,” and her mission is to educate the public on the “importance of design” to patient health.

intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cell in the human eye, which senses light and regulates the body’s systems, including melatonin levels, which are directly related to sleep. Visa’s Amber Night Light, she says, creates ambient light that won’t disturb the intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cell. This allows nurses to check on patients without disturbing their sleep.

Of course, all this valuable information leads us to the problems solved by Visa Lighting’s healthcare light fixtures. Packard calls special attention to the benefits of using LED fixtures. She reminds us that LEDs are indeed a great option for hospitals because they are energy efficient and therefore save money, reducing the cost of healthcare; they render color well, which is necessary, so that doctors and nurses can accurately assess skin pallor; and, unlike fluorescent lamps, LEDs contain no mercury.

The electrical field is one that has seen a number of remarkable discoveries over the decades. One very important lesson has been the aspect of grounding of electrical currents. It’s true that we need electricity for almost everything in our daily lives and can’t even imagine a world without it. However, it continues to be one of the most dangerous elements on earth. If you haven’t already properly grounded your home’s electrical systems, you are taking a significant risk by not doing so.

Every electrical circuit has an active wire which supplies power; there is also a neutral wire which is responsible for carrying the power back. There is a third wire (grounding wire) that can be attached to the power outlets & the electrical appliances and devices; this wire is connected securely to the ground in your breaker box.

This third wire is the additional path that the electrical current can pass through to be safely returned to the ground, in case there is a short circuit; this prevents any harm being caused to anyone. In the event that a short circuit occurs, the current flows through into this grounding wire and it’s when you notice a tripped circuit breaker or a blown fuse in the electrical main board on your property. If this wire hadn’t been grounded, it would have resulted in a fatal shock.

This is one of the most important reasons to ground electrical currents. It’s the best way to protect your family members from electrical surges when they are operating any electrical appliances in the house. In case a lightning strike causes an electrical surge on your property it can result in extremely high electrical voltages in your system. When the wiring has the proper grounding, all the excess electricity gets diverted into the earth, rather than burning everything that’s connected to your electrical system.

When your installation is grounded, it becomes very easy for the power to get directed exactly to where you need it; this allows the electrical currents to efficiently & safely travel across your home’s electrical system.

A properly grounded system makes it much easier for the power to be distributed in the right amount to the right places. This plays a significant role in ensuring that there is no overload in the circuits. The earth becomes the common reference point for all the different sources of voltage in an electrical system.

One of the primary reasons why grounding is extremely effective in keeping you safe is because the earth is an excellent conductor, and electricity always takes the path that has the least resistance. When you ground your electrical system, you are giving it a path that it can easily take, rather than into you; this can potentially save your life.

If your home’s electrical system isn’t properly grounded, you are just risking the appliances and equipment that are connected to your system, being burnt beyond repair. If the situation gets out of control that can also result in a fire risking your property and causing physical injury, sometimes even death.

As our #1 international customer base, Canada is enjoying brighter times ahead with the most outstanding light fixtures and lamps from Capitol Lighting’s 1800lighting.com.

Capitol Lighting provides Canadian customers with friendly, reliable service and custom quality illumination.

Here is what we offer…

• Capitol Lighting maintains partnerships with the most trusted lighting manufacturers throughout the US, and remains a family owned and operated business backed by 90 years of experience in the lighting industry.

• When you purchase from Capitol Lighting, you buy with confidence.  All of our products are backed by our 110% best price guarantee.

• From traditional to futuristic compositions, 1800lighting.com offers a world-class selection of chandeliers, wall decor, decorative accessories, track lighting and portable lamps for your residential or commercial space.

• Experience the latest in LED and energy-efficient illumination, as well as eco-friendly lamps and lighting products.

• Choose from a tremendous assortment of items including, exquisite foyer fixtures, decorative table and floor lamps, desk lamps and task lamps, superb outdoor and landscape lighting, ceiling fans and light kits, and automated lighting controls.

Capitol Lighting provides the best service and care, along with custom quality illumination for your residential or commercial environment.

We keep in touch with you…

• Within one full business day of placing your order, you will receive an initial order status email providing you with the initial “estimated” shipping dates for each item on your order.  These shipping dates are estimated based on the availability of the item(s) in our warehouses in New Jersey and Florida, as well as the warehouses of our Manufacturers.

• If an item you have purchased is made to order or is on back order with the Manufacturer, your order status email will reflect this along with an estimated shipping date.

• Until your order has fully shipped and is complete, you will receive Order Status Update emails if/when the estimated shipping date changes or we receive new information about the product that impacts your order.

• Using the shipping calculator tool in the shopping cart is fast and easy—you can even get FedEx rates to your door (inclusive of duty and taxes)!

• 110% best price guarantee

• Friendly, reliable service

• Dedication to top quality design and composition

Go to Capitol Lighting’s info page for details and get started on furnishing your home and/or office environment with the best illumination from 1800lighting.com.

Shipping to Canada:

• 1800lighting is pleased to ship directly to our Canadian customers.

• Standard Ground Shipping-FedEx/UPS items: All items will ship from warehouses around the US directly to your door via FedEx or UPS and their Canadian partners.  All our shipments will comply with Canada Customs regulations and pricing will include all duties and your local GST+PST or HST.

• To simplify the process, in the shopping cart our shipping calculator will calculate all related charges based on your postal code, connecting directly with FedEx to provide the most accurate delivery charges.  Please note:  We pass on our preferred shipping rates and do not mark up our shipping fees in any way.

• Shipping Lead Times:  If your purchase or project is time sensitive, it is strongly suggested that you contact a representative at 1.800.544.4846 or email ShippingToCanada@1800lighting.com to inquire about what expedited shipping services may be available.